Good evening friends and family,
I’ve been half joking with David that I’m going through
anticipation culture shock as we prepare to come to the USA, and I start to
work again in an American hospital.
David says that it shouldn’t be culture shock for me because I’m
American…but I think to much Peruvian culture has seeped into my blood [I like
not planning until “we get there.”]
So… David’s USA visa was approved last month. Since then we’ve been busy. We spent a week
and a half in Curahuasi packing, cleaning the house, and saying goodbye (which
is crucial in the Curahuasino culture---if you don’t personally say goodbye to
your friends and acquaintances you can end up offending them and canceling out
your whole friendship).
Then we traveled to Lima. We got David’s University diploma
and transcript legalized and translate. Then we traveled to Junin where David
grew up and where the majority of his family lives. We spent time visiting and saying goodbye to
them (I officially know more of David’s relatives than my own). Then we came
back to Lima where we submitted my request to leave the country, canceling my
residence visa and have been spending time with David’s mom, step-dad and 3
half brothers (with whom he grew up with). I’m ready to move on, but as the
first time that David’s left his country for such a long time I know this time
with his family is important for him.
Next stop is Houston, Tx.
We will briefly visit the Brinkley’s, a family who play an important
roll in my spiritual growth as a teenager and young adult. The husband of the family, Norm, has been
fighting pancreatic cancer since January of this year. This family is an amazing family and so precious
to me. God has called them to a ministry of homeschool, foster care and adoption. First, they homeschooler their first 4
children. Then they adopted two girls from Russia. Then they started foster
care, fell in love with their kiddos and adopted 3 more and then 1 more. Their first four girls are now all happily
married and out of the house. But they still have 6 at home. By the marvelous
planning of God, we are arriving in time to celebrate Vika’s high school
graduation (the oldest who is still in the house). Please pray for this
precious family, for God’s healing, control, providence, and peace to reign in
their home.
Then we’ll head up to Tulsa to hit the ground running May 21st.
Long-term plan: 1-2
years in Tulsa for David to learn English, validate his university degree
(maybe get his masters in elementary teaching), and let our long-term
supporters get to know David so that they can better minister to us while we
are in missions.
During this
time, I’ve accepted a hospitalist job at St. John’s Medical Center.
…The Future: We are prayerfully
considering where God is leading us next: back to Peru…..or to one of the
missions we visiting in Uganda and Zambia, Africa…or somewhere else.
Support: We are
so appreciative of your faithful support which allows us to focus more
completely on the kingdom of God. Thank
you.
I start
working June 4th. So you can put your donations on hold for now….. OR
you can KEEP on giving 😊 They money given enters in an account in
Park Plaza, from which they send us $1400 monthly. Because we are planning to leave to missions
again in a year or two, the money that is left in the account will go towards
plane tickets, other start up costs, and monthly support.
….we will
keep you posted on the future!
Please send us an updated phone number if you’d like to meet
up to hear about what God’s been doing in Peru these last four years!! [And we’d love to personally love to thank
your for your thoughts, prayers and support all this time!]
SEE Y’ALL SOON!
Ari and David
